It’s not illegal for Canadians to turn the portrait of Sir Wilfrid Laurier on their $5 bill into Star Trek’s Spock, but officials aren’t exactly happy about it.
After Leonard Nimoy died on Friday at age 83, Canadian Trekkies have been drawing pointy ears on Laurier and giving him Spock’s trademark haircut. They have also been writing “Live Long and Prosper” on them and have been sharing their drawings on Twitter with the hashtag #SpockingFives.
While some think that what they are doing is illegal, the Bank of Canada says it’s not. However, it’s not exactly something they endorse.
“The Bank of Canada feels that writing and markings on banknotes are inappropriate as they are a symbol of our country and a source of national pride,” bank spokeswoman Josianne Menard told the Canadian Press in an email.
Menard said that the “Spocked” bills could also be pulled from circulation and retailers have the right to reject them. The Bank also wants people to stop posting images of the defaced bills on social media, but it’s not like that will stop any time soon.
Coincidentally, the Canadian Press notes that the current Governor of the Bank of Canada, Stephen Poloz, is a Star Trek fan. He once gave an address in New York called “Speculating on the Future of Finance” in which he wondered what the Trek universe’s economy was like.
#SpockingFives
Way to go, Canada pic.twitter.com/NAbAm8bFVt
— Zach Webb (@zach_webb) March 3, 2015